Independent councillors criticised the council’s proposed toilet tax on the seafront and roadworks in front of the Palace Pier where the Aquarium roundabout is being removed as the budget was set.
Councillor Peter Atkinson said that the 50p charge would not only prove unpopular but was “simply wrong”.
His former party, Labour, proposed the charge for “high traffic” public toilets on the seafront, with a view to bringing in £70,000 a year although that doesn’t include the associated costs.
Councillor Atkinson said that he had read a great deal online debate on the topic, with some citing the toilet tax in Eastbourne.
The North Portslade councillor did not believe that Brighton and Hove should do something wrong just because it was being done elsewhere.
He said: “The equality impact assessment on this proposal focuses mainly on young and disabled people.
“But, as has been mentioned by groups such as the Older People’s Council, this will hit elderly people just as much. And being a gentleman of a certain age, I totally agree with that concern.”
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh, who represents Rottingdean and West Saltdean, arrived late for the council’s annual budget council meeting at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Thursday 26 February).
She said that her bus was delayed in a traffic jam on the A259 seafront road caused by the final phase of the Valley Gardens project, which involves replacing the Aquarium roundabout with a T-junction and traffic lights.
Councillor Fishleigh said: “It’s very hard explaining to residents why their council tax is going up when they know that the chaos of Valley Gardens was partially funded by a £5 million loan that has to be paid back, with interest, of course, and £1.8 million of council money that could and should have been spent on improving roads.”
Councillor Fishleigh also highlighted missed rubbish collections in her ward. At a council meeting last month, she said that she had champagne on ice ready for the day when there were no complaints from residents about missed collections. It’s still on ice, she said.
Her fellow Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey, who also represents Rottingdean and West Saltdean, raised concerns about the amount held by the council in financial reserves.
He accepted the need to borrow £15 million from the government – in exceptional financial support – to top up reserves to £12 million, as recommended by Brighton and Hove City Council’s external auditors.
He said: “We calculate that a reserve fund of nearer £18 million is required, larger than the number put forward by the external auditors and Councillor Taylor.”
But Councillor Earthey said that the root of the financial challenges were “demographic and macroeconomic trends” with an ageing baby-boomer population, poverty and homelessness.
One focus of the Labour deputy leader Jacob Taylor in the budget for 2026-27 was a plan to spend about £113 million on new homes for people on the council’s waiting list and in temporary housing.
The aim is to reduce the £20 million cost of short-term emergency and temporary housing.
Councillor Earthey said: “We have few short-term options to increase the supply of temporary accommodation.
“While the exit of private landlords may allow us to transfer more capacity in from the private sector, it doesn’t actually increase total capacity.”
The council’s £1 billion budget was voted through, with a 4.99 per cent council tax increase, of which 2 per cent is ring-fenced for adult social care.
The average band D property in Brighton and Hove will face a £2,579.44 council tax bill, of which £281.91 goes to the Sussex police and crime commissioner and £117.49 to East Sussex Fire Authority.
